DAVE PARKES

Big news today is that the Great British Energy company is front and centre in @UKLabour's coming manifesto. It’s 1 of the 6 pledges unveiled today by @Keir_Starmer.  I’ve been advocating the public ownership of the new green energy sources that we need to build - for a bunch of years now. This is exactly that - and it makes so much more sense than allowing foreign owned companies and pension funds to extract the financial benefits of our green transition - from our economy.

Had a really engaging chat with @NickyAACampbell this morning on @bbc5live. I explained the massive opportunity of Energy Independence (like Brexit on steroids) all in the context of the ongoing will they won’t they speculation around Labour’s £28 billion green pledge.

A message to all the Tories ahead of the Commons Vote on new oil & gas licenses. There’s no use being loyal to a leader who won’t be at the helm very soon. If you still have a conscience, or any idea about the #ClimateCrisis, do the right thing today. Be on the right side of history.

Sunak is breathtakingly dishonest. From his shameless claim that Starmer’s policy to stop drilling in the North Sea (entirely as per international scientific & political consensus) was bought by donations from an environmentalist, to his claims that his own rogue policies to start drilling will benefit the country - it really is little more than a lie when the facts say the exact opposite (it can’t lower energy bills or give us security). But perhaps we can understand his approach a little better today - @RishiSunak's family may not be unemployed or disabled but they are on state benefits - that’s how this $1.5 billion contract looks to me. And that too is breathtakingly dishonest.

Today we kickstarted a new revolution - with the launch of an electric airline. Yes, actual passenger carrying planes powered by electricity. Our electricity will be made from the wind and sun, green electricity powering emission-free flying. It’s a world-first and vital last step in the electrification of transport - enabling carbon-free living without compromise. It doesn’t get much better than that. Have a look at the piece from the @guardian here: bit.ly/3pPFk3E

Just been on with BBC Points West on this electric airline story (Ecojet) on Telly at 1.30 and 6.30 they tell me. Not a bad day to launch such a thing, given all the extreme heat events and the clear fact that fossil fuels are driving this - are you listening @RishiSunak ?

Well said @DawnButlerBrent! While @OliverDowden's claim is certainly wrong, let’s not forget that Liz Truss cost every household in Britain £1k just in the one month she was in charge. The Tories have resided over a quadrupling of energy bills costing 3k a year extra at its peak and still costing £1k extra now (other countries had little or no increase in energy bills) and this week the Bank of England announced an extra cost of £6k per year for millions of mortgage holders… The Tories are in a glass house throwing boulders… they’ve run our economy and our country into the ground.